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BIBLIA SACRA.
Sacra biblia, Hebraice, Graece, et Latine. Cum annotationibus Francisci Vatabli ... Latina interpretatio duplex est, altera vetus, altera noua.
[Heidelberg, recte Geneva? , ex officina Commeliniana, 1599.]
£7500.00
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Folio. 2 vols. vol. 1) pp. (xviii) 462 [i.e. 463] (i), 580, (xxiv) : vol. 2) pp. 296, 153- 664, 1-152, (ff. 38), 128 (iv) ; (iv) 207 (i). Roman, Greek and Hebrew letter. Old testament in four columns, New testament in two, interlined in Greek and Latin. Large woodcut printer's device on both titles, fine historiated headpieces, floriated initials in various sizes, "Ex bibliotheca minimorum Guichiensium" in C17 hand on title, light general age yellowing. A fine, well margined copy in French olive morocco c. 1620, covers bordered a double gilt rule and a fine gilt dentelle roll, gilt arms of Henry II de Bourbon-Condé at centers, spine with gilt raised bands, compartments bordered with same dentelle roll, large gilt fleurons at centers, title gilt lettered in compartment, upper cover of vol. 2 scratched with a few holes, all edges speckled red. An excellent copy of this monumental polyglot bible with most illustrious provenance; from the library of Henri II de Bourbon, third Prince of Condé, Prince of the Blood, the adopted son of King Henry IV of France, and father of Louis II de Bourbon, the "Grand Condé". He was the son of the Henri I second Prince de Sang and Charlotte de Tremoille though knew neither, his father died before he was born and his mother was imprisoned on suspicion of having poisoned him. He was adopted by Henri IV who married him to Charlotte de Montmorency, with whom he had become besotted, in the hope that by bringing her to court he could seduce her himself, thinking his adopted son would not object as reputedly he was not attracted to women. Henri II did object and withdrew from court with his wife, though pursued with such assiduity by the old King he was eventually forced to flee to Brussels and then Spain. Henry IV was furious and compared the situation to that of the kidnapping of Helen of Troy and only his assassination prevented war with Spain to bring her back. Henry II returned to France where he was on the council of regents during the Regency of Marie De Medici, though he plotted, with other high nobility, against Concini and the Italian faction and was eventually imprisoned for three years. He was released by Louis XIII and distinguished himself in several military campaigns, though he never achieved the military fame of his son. Olivier identifies the arms on the covers with books printed in the 1620's after the Prince's return to from exile and his imprisonment. His library was left to the Monastery of Guiches in the Charolais by his wife and later dispersed during the Revolution.
This beautifully printed polyglot Bible "Contains the Hebrew, Greek septuagint, and Latin Vulgate texts of the Old Testament. These are generally supposed to follow the Complutensian Polyglot: But E. Nestle classes the Greek text among the reprints of the Aldine Bible of 1518. There is added a second Latin version by Sanctes Paginus (in the Apocrypha, by C. Baduellus), with notes mainly based on the lectures of F. Vatablus: all this additional matter is taken from the Latin Bible printed by R. Stephanus at Geneva, in 1556,57 (q.v.)... Texts in parallel columns - the Hebrew outside and the Greek inside, with two Latin versions in the middle, notes at the foot of the page. ..... A second edition appeared in 1599... But except for the N. T. it is the same book, reissued with a fresh title. It was republished by the same press once more in 1616." Darlow and Moule. The text of the New Testament, which did not appear in the Estienne edition, interlined in Greek and Latin is that established by the Spanish priest and Orientalist, Arias Montanus (Benedictus) first printed by Plantin in Antwerp in 1569–72 under the patronage of Philip II who entrusted him with the editing of the Polyglot Bible. Arias was accused of Judaizing, on account of his insertion in the Polyglot of certain Aramaic paraphrases tending to confirm the Jews in their claims; but he was acquitted of the charge through a favorable report on the matter by the inquisitor, P. Mariana (1580). He was also the translator of Benjamin of Tudela's "Travels" into Latin, amongst many other works. A majestic copy of this monumental and important bible.
BM STC C16 Ger. Olivier 2622 no. 8. Darlow and Moule 1424 (1st edn.) Adams B-975.
L1117
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